Baqala Options For the Wannabe Health Conscious

Okay, here’s the lowdown, we love food, we crave snacks any hour of the day. Our childhood also included a lot of trips to the Baqala and it still does. We’ve downed everything from the .50 halala crepes (which we now tried again and realized they taste like paper) to hobby chocolates, and bags of chips we really just bought for the captain Majed stickers and tazos.

But alas, at some point we have to do the whole responsible adulting. So while we still recommend turning your hands cheesy orange and sneakily trying to wipe it off your jeans— we decided to give you a list of when-push-comes-to-shove decent healthy options you can get from the baqala if you’re desperate for a snack:

1. Can of Tuna

Photo credits: wisegeek

Yea, safest bet you have there. Protein in a can.

2. Nuts

Here’s the thing with them packed nuts if you pick out the sugar-coated or salted ones, you’re not doing yourself much good. It’s still a bit better than empty calories but still, if you can get them as is, the better.

3. Yogurt or Laban

And most baqalas have packets of honey, just pour and mix.

4. Apples and Bananas

Photo Credits: The Conversation

Okay, the thing is most stores will have fruits sold per piece, it’s just our immediate inclination to reach for the nearest junk on the shelf ’cause we’re used to it. Now a particular Riyadh convenience store, which we will not name (it’s red, all over the city, supposedly open 24/7 but has a padlock and closes— yea, that one), has individually packed fruits. They also have corn but we recommend skipping that, bananas and apples are better options.

5. Brown bread and Hummus

First off, if you’re in the red store that won’t be named, STAY AWAY FROM THEIR COLD CUTS section. You might think, oohh, sandwiches but seriously, you’re better off buying brown bread and a can of hummus.